CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIOJapan: Building innovation for the 21st century
With much of Japan’s modern infrastructure dating back to thecountry’s post-war economic boomof the 1960s, the biggest task forthe nation’s construction industry
today is the maintenance and repair of existing roads, bridges andbuildings. And in a highly naturaldisaster prone country, ensuring
the reinforcement of structureswith the latest disaster prevention technologies is also essential.
Fortunately, Japan’s innovative
construction industry players arefacing the challenge head on.
“Most of the key infrastructurethat we use in our daily lives, suchas bridges, tunnels, buildings, andsewage and water supply systems,
is old and decrepit. The questionof how to rehabilitate it is a big
challenge for this country,” states
Shigeki Kanao, President and CEO
of Kanaflex Corporation, whose
latest innovation, Kanacrete, ahigh-strength, lightweight fiber reinforced concrete, has already been
put to use in roads and bridges inJapan. “Roads in Japan are aging
and the main reason is that the con-crete slabs underneath the asphalt
have rusted and are falling apartdue to the reinforced concrete’s
aging. Kanacrete floor slabs havebeen used to repair these roads.”
While the industry places muchattention on maintenance and repair (and rightly so), there remains
a grave need for new construction
projects also, as highlighted by
Tokuaki Kojima, chairman of construction engineering firm Kojimagumi, which provides vital dredging
technology to ports and harbors
across Japan and the globe. “Manybuildings are aging and maintenanceis key to increasing their longevity. At the same time, we still needto shift to new constructions andmake them more efficient, so theright balance needs to be struck,” heexplains. “Though not many people
talk about it, a lot of projects need
to be undertaken in Japan soon. It
is time for Japan to re-evaluate its
urban planning and harbor planningto make them more efficient.”
Part of this re-evaluation will befocused on training and recruitment. Much like its infrastruc-ture, Japan’s population is aging,prompting a seismic contractionin the workforce. As such, thecountry must open up to foreignlabor. “In order for Japan to sustain its growth, it’s important towelcome foreign workers,” says
Sadahisa Sugiyama, Chairmanof Minami Fuji, Japan’s number
one roofing company which also
has a training and human capitaldevelopment arm operating both
domestically and overseas. With
1,200 workers in Japan, Minami
Fuji has reoriented more attention
to increasing its workforce on the
global market and aims to become“the number one roofing company
in the world,” says Mr. Sugiyama.
Expanding global operations is
also the focus for IHI Infrastructure
Systems, which has long had a presence in the U.S. and is also operatingin Asia with several projects under
the Japanese government’s Official
Development Assistance program.
“We’d like to expand our business
into comprehensive transportation
infrastructure services. This businesswill encompass not only the designand construction of infrastructure,
but also the post-construction management and maintenance of structures,” says IHI’s Susumu Ishihara.
“Our key markets remain in Asia andEurope, but in the future, we’d liketo expand our business into Africa.
I also see big business opportunities
in the U.S. and we are now developing a new strategy for this market
in order to meet evolving needs.”
Making waves globally in the water treatment business, Nagaoka
International has pioneered innovations such as HiSIS (High-speed
Seabed Infiltration System). “Withthis technology, we can replace all
the conventional systems neededfor desalination,” says company
president and CEO, Yasuhisa Umezu, who affirms that “international
co-creation is indispensable” for thecompany’s future growth. “We havecollaborated with other companies
in the past. Our HiSIS product, forexample, was developed by us in collaboration with Hitachi-Zosen. We
are looking for core international
partners who are atune with global
business practices.”

Paving the way for next-generation
sustainable societies
By integrating agriculture, construction, recycling and all-weather pavement repair solutions,
IKEE Group has earned the reputation as the advanced infrastructure activist.

Paving work in Cambodia: NR#5
Without the economies of scaleof major companies, IKEE Groupis instead looking at expansion
by targeting countries with moremodest markets. President and
CEO Shu Nishiyama describes thecompany as being “like a positive virus, with several small units
spreading out to create a wider
network, carving out a niche business,” as already seen in Kyrgyzstan and the Pacific region.
From road paving and drainage piping to agriculture, materials testing and landscaping,
IKEE Group uses synergies to its
benefit, allowing everyone to “pro-“Our group companies can
combine and share customers,
information and technologies
so that everyone in the groupcan proceed with a common,
united purpose.”Nighttime paving for roadpreservation
then be used in IKEE’s prized Excelroad repair material. “Excel can beused at room temperature and nomachinery is required,” the president proudly explains, “all you needto do is step on it.”

Shu Nishiyama,
President & CEO, IKEE GROUP
ceed with a common,
united purpose,” Mr.
Nishiyama says. The
company is currently
in talks to build aplastic- and dioxinreducing recycling
center in Cambodia, which would
use plastic waste
to make modified
asphalt, which can

Easy-to-use Excel
Curiosity lies at the heart of his
business, a competitive advantage for SMEs looking to expand
globally in an uncertain future.

https://ikee.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Building a bridge between tradition and innovation
IHI Infrastructure Systems is a company that has been firmly combining history,
technology and human resources to support the world of infrastructure, pursuing
new R&D and DX solutions.

“Japanese companies
provide not only
infrastructure andequipment themselves,
but they also work totransfer technologies
and knowledge to local
partners, and that’s
exactly what we havedone so far and willcontinue to do.”Susumu Ishihara,
Vice President of Social
Infrastructure & Offshore
Facilities, IHI Corporation(Former Presidentof IHI Infrastructure
Systems Co., Ltd.)“We would like to have contributed
to infrastructure construction all
around the world,” says Susumu
Ishihara, former president of IHI
Infrastructure Systems Co., Ltd.
(now Vice President of Social Infrastructure & Offshore Facilities
of IHI Corporation), when asked
about plans for the next five years.
And work on that expansion isalready in motion.
“Our first key markets are Asia
and Europe, where we have been
involved in localization for decades.
Since the 1980s, we have built
large-scale bridges in Turkey andVietnam and expanded our business to other European and Asianmarkets, such as Romania, Bangladesh and India. In these countries, we have not only built new
bridges but provided all kinds ofmaintenance services throughout
the bridges’ lifecycle. Having accumulated experience and developed
human resources in those markets,
we would like to expand into thenext Asian and European markets.”“Africa is quite an interesting
market as there’s a growing population and definitely a need fortransport infrastructure develop-

Nhat Tan Bridge (Vietnam)

IHI INFRASTRUCTURE ASIA
CO.,LTD. (Vietnam)

Osman Gazi Bridge(Turkey)

Sakai Works (Japan)
ment,” Mr. Ishihara adds. “Also,
this year’s Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (TICAD) will be held
in Tunisia, and therefore we are
expecting bigger opportunities
and more projects in the region.”
Big opportunities in the UnitedStates are also on the mind, especially given President Joe Biden’s
infrastructure plan, with commitment a key aspect to any of IHI’s
foreign expansions.
“We have been involved in theAmerican infrastructure market
for a long time, but we are now
developing a new strategy to meet
its evolving needs,” Mr. Ishiharasays. “Once we’ve decided on acountry or area to focus on,” hecontinues, “we want to commit to
it for a long time, just as we have,for example, in Vietnam, Myanmar
and Turkey by establishing local
business centers and factories. It’s
not about hopping from one project to another solely for revenue.”
And it’s not only about providing infrastructure and equipment,
but also working to pass on technologies and knowledge to local
partners, an example of this being
the Nhat Tan Bridge in Vietnam,
which showcases the company’s
expertise while transferring thetechnology and skills to local engineers. Yet more partnerships
are desired.
“We need a business partner,”Mr. Ishihara shares. “Our main busi-

ness is bridge construction, but
if you look at European markets
there aren’t many projects plannedsolely for bridge construction; there
are more projects in the form ofintegrated infrastructure packages,
which include adjoining roads andtunnels, along with the bridges. We
have vast global experience in tunnel boring machinery and our goal
is to move from a manufacturer to acontractor in the tunneling businessfields. Acquiring tunnel construction technology will provide us withmore opportunities, so this is our
immediate objective.
“The other partner we desire
is one to help us speed up ourprocesses in the areas of R&D andDX (digital transformation). We’ve
already started discussions withstartups that could aid our pursuitof new technology for this.”
IHI’s future growth is also verymuch aligned to environmental
and sustainability targets. “Ourgoal is to make our value chain carbon neutral by 2050,” Mr. Ishihara
states. “In order to achieve this,we have separated carbon emissions from our main supply chain
into three distinct scopes — fuels,
electricity and raw materials —and we are currently preparing thedetailed plans for reducing carbon
emissions in all three.”Given that the company’s mainfunction here is to manufacture
and produce steel structures, IHI’s
CO2 reduction plans and carbon
neutral technology will focus on
the electricity scope, while thecompany is also offering solutions
to reduce steel materials by involving itself from the design stage.
“We believe that shortening theconstruction period and limiting
traffic restrictions will alleviate
congestion and, as a result, reduce
CO2 release,” Mr. Ishihara says.
To conclude, Mr. Ishihara
articulates IHI’s two management philosophies: “to contributeto the development of society
through technology” and that“human resources are our single
most valuable asset.”www.ihi.co.jp/iis/en

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

The world’s largest grab
dredger “Gosho”

Kojimagumi: Laying the ground for new collaboration
With over 100 years of experience in dredging and land reclamation, construction engineering company Kojimagumi
is uniquely placed to meet Japan’s infrastructure needs and help re-evaluate the country’s approach to urban andharbor planning.
Almost 60 years on from the construction boom of the 1960s, Japan ﬁnds itself caught between theneed to maintain existing buildings
and lay foundations for new ones.
Factors such as population decline
and the country’s susceptibility tonatural disasters make the balanceeven harder to strike. Despite providing high-quality construction,
Japanese companies are losing
out to foreign competitors who
can operate more decisively andat lower costs.
As Tokuaki Kojima, chairman of
inﬂuential construction engineering company Kojimagumi, knows
only too well, improving safety
across Japanese territories is also
about challenging false perceptions: “In land reclamation, it isvery important for us to co-exist
with the ocean and the key here
is understanding. We worked with
DEME, a Belgian company, on two
projects in Singapore. They told
us that it took them 20 years
to get the message across that
their projects are not destroying
the environment and that in fact
they create more sustainable environments. It is crucial for thatmessage to get across: we are notdredging and moving sludge toharm the environment but, rather,
we are helping the environment
through our work. Dredging is
crucial to safeguarding humanas well as marine lives.”
Kojimagumi’s work, a largepart of which is carried out incoastal environments, is es-

sential in preventing disasters
such as ﬂooding and in helping
restore ports following strong
weather events. The company’s
grab dredger vessels are bothmore economical and more efﬁcient than those of countries
such as the U.S.A., with theSoutheast Asian markets, targeting countries with budgets forharbor and port construction.
As Mr. Kojima is keen to point
out, however, operating on a
global level requires more thanjust a strategy. Commercial
success is about collaboration:“I believe that thesuccessful attainmentof the U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals
depends on creating
partnerships between
companies that havethe same objective inrealizing these goals.”
Clockwise from top left: “Gosho”; Disaster-prevention bucket;
Project in Singapore; Hybrid grab dredger “381 Ryoseimaru”
hybrid 381 Ryoseimaru able togenerate electricity as it operates. And while Japanese construction ﬁrms have been slow toembrace digital transformation,
Kojimagumi’s grab dredging vessels have autonomous operating
capabilities, a fact that could
prove crucial as the company
looks to the future.
With projects recently completed in South Africa, Cameroon
and Singapore, the next step is
to move into the East Asian and“Building trust with customers is
a very important factor in business. The first time we went
overseas, we worked with China
Harbor and established a good
relationship with their employees. If you communicate well, you
can understand each other. The
relationship we built led to theproject’s success, and the sameis true for the Belgian company
we worked with. We were able
to gain their trust by providing
what they needed even before

Tokuaki Kojima,
Chairman,
Kojimagumi Co., Ltd.
they asked us. We have been able
to come this far thanks to thesekinds of relationships. When wetalk about creating world peace,
I believe that communication is
key and that it leads to a muchbetter society. I do not consider
myself a ‘smart’ guy, and thisis why I follow my heart. It is
important to trust others.”

kk-kojimagumi.co.jp/english

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Minami Fuji: The human development specialists
Founded in 1944 as a roof contractor, Minami Fuji has now created a human resource network spanning Asia
where they train young ambitious personnel to become independent full-fledged members of society.
on the societal issue of NEETs(Not in Education, Employment,or Training) in Japan, as well as
the declining birth rate and aging
population. After three months offree training and subsidized living
expenses, the RMS attendees will
work for us as roofing specialists,“Currently, we arebuilding the No. 1
comprehensive exteriorbusiness in Japan and
the No. 1 network in Asia
for human resources.”
Sadahisa Sugiyama,
Chairman of the Board,
Minami Fuji Co., Ltd.
With over half a century’s worthof experience, Minami Fuji proudly
ranks as Japan’s number one roof
construction company and leads
the way in human resource andbusiness development not only in
the Nippon nation, but across allof Asia. One of the reasons behind
this is the focus on targeting anddeveloping the right people.

GMC for Talent Development
started in 2005 in China“In order to recruit high level
personnel as human resources, it’s
important to educate them, as we
all have different cultural, linguistic
and religious backgrounds,” says
Sadahisa Sugiyama, the company’schairman of the board, adding that,“education materials in Chinese,
Vietnamese, Cambodian, Japaneseand many other languages ensurea united team, utilizing a widereaching resource pool for talent.”
Free tuition — including the
Global Management College(GMC) which trains candidates tobecome co-owners and managers

The best in Japan for construction power and craftsmanship,
Roof Exterior Business

ROOF Meister Schoolof companies by the age of 22 —‘IT Meisters’ for tech training, andscholarships in collaboration with
top universities, all contribute tobringing in quality young employees. Mr. Sugiyama, who is also a
professor at 18 universities, andhis team’s demonstrable experts
in their fields now cover threedivisions at Minami Fuji.
“One is exterior roofing, the construction business,” the chairman
says. “The second is our overseas
business and the third is our social
business, which we call a humanresource development business,both domestically and overseas.”
When it comes to the construction side of things, Mr. Sugiyama
maintains his macro vision.

Collaborating with top universities
abroad in Asia for over 50 years“I think that the scrap-and-build
approach to renewal in Japanneeds to be changed into one characterized more by the renovation or
refurbishment of existing buildings.
“We have five office renovation
projects, but it is important toshift the Japanese mindset from

Building the best network ofcraftsmen in Japanbuilding a new construction to theEuropean idea of maintenance andlongevity of buildings being themain priority,” he explains, adding that there is also real value inwelcoming foreign workers into
Japan and the need to evolve.

The Top 1% of talent at GMC
among over 500 participants“Innovation is critical, so it’s notjust the design of new productsthat is important, but the evolutionof existing designs should become
more common.
“Even in the age of digitalization, roofing construction work
remains important and in demand. You can’t use automation
to replace the roofing construction process, so we have shifted
ourselves with the aim of becoming the number one roofing
company in the world.”
And with different businessstreams comes significant synergies.
“One of our human resource
development projects, RMS(ROOF Meister School), focuses

Practical education for many
students both at home and abroad
helping in some way to alleviate
the shortage of human resources,”
Mr. Sugiyama says.
“Overall, we are experiencing a
win-win situation. I consider social development as seed planting or investment, and that is
important in achieving an advantage in the long term.
“In developing human resources
abroad, we are entering through acultural perspective, not throughan economic perspective,” he continues, “so we are able to integratesmoothly into the school and havea collaborative partnership withthem. And we would like to continue this in other countries as
well, not only in universities but
also other educational facilities.
Although our GMCs are provided
free of charge, creating a human
network is priceless.”
While understanding the challenges that are faced in today’ssociety, especially with technological advancements, Mr. Sugiyama has some advice for the
younger generation.
“If you have the wisdom, thesincerity of heart, and the flexibility of mind, you can overcome
anything,” he says.
As Minami Fuji looks to growinternationally, the intangible assets of wisdom and know-how inhuman resource development canbe shared even further.

www.minamifuji.com

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Kanaflex spearheading a revolution awayfrom conventional steel reinforced concreteWith proprietary technologies such as Kanacrete, Kanaflex is developing
innovative materials and products to replace conventional reinforced concretefor the infrastructure of the future.
More than half a century on from theconstruction boom that coincidedwith the 1964 Olympics, much ofJapan’s infrastructure is old and inneed of repair.
“Reinforced concrete is a key material in civil engineering as well as
construction,” Kanaflex president
Shigeki Kanao notes. It is also, however, susceptible to rusting and toa phenomenon called freeze-thaw,
where water gets inside the material and freezes, causing cracks. Thisis the main factor behind the aging of infrastructure such as roads,
bridges, tunnels and sewers.
Thanks to Kanacrete, a highstrength lightweight fiber reinforced concrete developed by
Kanaflex, both these issues may
soon be consigned to the past.
Boasting approximately twice thecompressive strength and threetimes the bending strength of conventional reinforced concrete at half
the weight, thanks to its excellent
thermal insulation properties, Kanacrete can easily adapt to various
environmental, climatic or temperature conditions. It is unaffected by

MP-42 (Kana Hyumu) has been
accredited by AASHTO
freeze-thaw and less likely to rustsince it contains no steel bars.
Already in use as a panel for construction, the material has recently
been deployed to build a highway“We are looking to
expand further into
Asia, Europe and theUnited States.”
Shigeki Kanao,
President & CEO,
Kanaflex Corporation Co., Ltd.
of unique technologies such as
KanaStone, a composite panel ofnatural stone that is lightweight,
durable and easy to install, will no
doubt add to the company’s burgeoning international reputation.

Kanacrete floor plate
bridge and to repair concrete slabs
underneath one of Japan’s main
expressways — initiatives carriedout with the approval of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Given
that the material’s lifespan is four
to five times that of conventional
reinforced concrete, this will leadto significantly lower infrastructurerelated running costs.
A composite-replacement panel
made from Kanacrete, meanwhile,
has the potential to be a cost-efficient, durable alternative to wood:a development which could help
protect Southeast Asian rainforests,
80,000 square kilometers of which
are lost every year. Protecting rainforests, Mr. Kanao states, has beena “personal and primary occupation
for the last 30 years”.
In recent years, Kanaflex has also
made significant strides in the areasof water supply and sewage repair
technology. “Replacing old and damaged pipes is one of the most serious problems facing Japan today,”adds the company president. The
process is time-consuming and expensive, but thanks to the company’s
KanaSlip technology, which can beinserted through a manhole — a
non-open-cut method — restora-tion is both simple and economical.
KanaSlip pipes are resistant to toxic
gases and have a lifespan of 50 years.
With the Japanese domestic
market shrinking, news that the
Biden administration in the UnitedStates has set out its bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, with a budgetof USD 550 billion, represents asignificant opportunity for Kanaflex to grow its international brand.
Introducing products to the global
market can be complex owing todiffering national regulations, but
after a six-year process, Kanaflex
recently obtained approval fromthe U.S. government for its Kana
Hyumu pipe, as well as receiving
similar requests from many othercountries. The pipes’ durability has
been certified by the U.S. government as exceeding 260 years andMP-42 (Kana Hyumu) has been
accredited by the American Association of State Highway andTransportation Officials (AASHTO).
Kanaflex’s future looks very
bright. At home, the company has
acquired the support of Japan’s
governing Liberal Democratic Party, and discussions are taking placeat the highest level regarding theneed for infrastructure regeneration. Meanwhile, the development

In the Florida 100-year durability
test, KanaPipe’s durability wascertified as being 264 years
The greatest obstacle to solving
Japan’s infrastructural problems
is the old, conservative mindsetof government institutions andlarge businesses. If it is to survive, Japanese industry needs aninnovative generation of young
entrepreneurs who, supported
by strong organizations and the
public, are not afraid of change.

www.kanaflex.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

Nagaoka International sails forth into unfamiliar waters
An acknowledged player in the petrochemical industry, Nagaoka is revising its
priorities by focusing on water intake and purification systems to meet the U.N.
Sustainable Development Goals and enhance its global brand.

Nagaoka screens
A company that has made significant contributions to the energy
and water industries through its
screen technologies, Nagaoka generates 84% of its turnover fromoverseas markets. Recent years
have seen the company devote
more resources to its water division in a bid to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals andhelp address the world’s growing
water crisis through its business.
According to Nagaoka president and CEO Yasuhisa Umezu,“only about 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh water and even less iscurrently drinkable.” Fortunately,with its CHEMILES technology,

the company has a solution. “Theunique feature of our CHEMILES
technology is that we take underground water and remove harmful
substances from it without using
any chemicals,” he adds.
The company also boasts a Highspeed Seabed Infiltration System(HiSIS), which is used by desalination facilities specializing in underground seawater intake, and has
the potential to accelerate what
is traditionally a complex process.

HiSIS
With interest in its technologies
already coming from public waterwork companies, Mr. Umezu is keen
to emphasize that Nagaoka is also

targeting private enterprise. “We
supplied a number of CHEMILES
to food and beverage companies
in domestic and overseas markets.”
Co-creation, meanwhile, is “indispensable for future growth.”

CHEMILES
Looking to the future, Mr. Umezu
acknowledges that Nagaoka’s shift
to water will have an impact on theiroverseas presence. Vietnam, however, is a likely focus. “Vietnam hasvery low labor costs, is geographically well placed and is a politicallyneutral country,” Mr. Umezu says.
Adjusting its priorities hasbrought Nagaoka increased international recognition and multiple awards. The launch of its“Our uniqueness is tofocus on undergroundwater, which isconsidered an untapped
and underlying natural
resource.”
Yasuhisa Umezu,
President & CEO, Nagaoka
International Corporation
CHEMILES technology, a productwith truly global appeal, means
further success could be justaround the corner.

www.nagaokajapan.co.jp

Japan’s Nissaku creating social value throughgeological engineering excellence
Through well construction, geological survey work and advanced civil engineering
technologies for disaster prevention, Nissaku is paving the way for universal access toclean water through its activities in Africa and Asia.

SfM and LiDAR using UAV for
3D topographic analysis
Companies which have prospered for over a century often
have one thing in common: adriving philosophy that allows
them to prosper in any businessenvironment. Japanese waterand geological engineering firm
Nissaku has used its commitment
to putting human resources firstand improving society throughnew technology to push its industry forward for over 110 years.
Nissaku has three main divisions: well construction; geological surveys; and advanced civilengineering specifically related
to disaster protection. The company employs personnel froma wide range of backgrounds
to ensure it provides novel solutions, which include its MVP
360-degree underwater cameras, patented Renewell Well
Repair Method, as well as the latest AI and IoT-related solutions.

Villagers gathering at a newwater supply facility (Zambia)
Behind all these innovations
is Nissaku’s commitment to im-proving lives, as demonstrated by
the company’s projects in Africa,
South America and the Middle
East, which were carried out
through Japan’s Official Development Assistance program. “Ourcompany aims to help raise thequality of life in these areas byproviding clean water,” stresses
president Naoki Wakabayashi.
As Nissaku aims to expand in
Vietnam as it has with successfulprojects in Nepal, the company isalways looking for partners withknowledge of the local market tohelp carry out its ambitious projects. This expansion is not driven
by profit, but by a focus on people.
“Profit is not the most important
thing,” says Mr. Wakabayashi.
“Sustaining the business is in the
middle and at the top is social andhuman capital, which is the mostvaluable asset for any company.”“Our company philosophy
is to contribute to society
with a combination of
traditional and cuttingedge technology. We
would like to use ourtechnologies to help
areas where accessing
water is difficult.”
Naoki Wakabayashi,
President, Nissaku Co., Ltd.

www.nissaku.co.jp

CONTENT BY THE WORLDFOLIO

The most simplified water analysis tool: PACKTEST
Since 1952, Kyoritsu has been supporting aquatic conservation through its provisionof simplified water quality checkers to the world.

“Our philosophy for our
products has always
been making simple
water analyzers foranyone, anywhere.”
Shuntaro Okauchi, President,
Kyoritsu Chemical-Check
Lab Corp.
Designed to be one of the world’s
simplest water analysis tools,
PACKTEST was launched in 1973
and is Kyoritsu Chemical-CheckLab’s flagship product. Diversification followed—into education,
wastewater management and fac-

Creation Center
tory quality control—as the product evolved into what it is today.
“The PACKTEST is a polyethylene
tube containing pre-mixed reagents
to measure a specific analyte,” explains company president, Shuntaro
Okauchi, who says that the uniqueness of Kyoritsu’s products lies intheir simplicity and wide variety. “Theresult can be seen right away withthe color coded indicator,” he adds.
With competition rife, and an
acute awareness of environmental
responsibilities, Kyoritsu has anotheradvantage, having chosen to keep
toxins well away from their reagents.
“Other simplified water analysis
tools may use hazardous materials.

They might have stronger reactions
for accuracy, but only a limited
number of people can handle them.
We believe the absence of toxic
materials makes our method superior, and this is what sets us apart.”
The progress made on products has been complemented
by other decisions taken by thecompany, including changing location to appeal more to younger
prospective employees.

PACKTEST“Moving to our new location, one
dedicated to lab, R&D and manufacturing, helps us to break awayfrom some stereotypes. We wanted
to show that our facility provides

Compare colors for result
a different working environment
from what people may expect. Ourhead office, factory and lab are all
here, while part of the manufacturing site remains in Tokyo.”
Staying ahead, while maintaining international growth ambitions, means focusing productdevelopment on the customer,
and in April 2020 the iPhone app,
SMART PACKTEST was launched.
“We keep striving to make our
products easier, more convenient
to use, and fit for customer
needs,” affirms Mr. Okauchi.

https://en.kyoritsu-lab.co.jp

Maxpull: Trustworthy winches
for a range of uses
Winches are hidden protagonists that support many aspects of industry and daily life.
Maxpull is the go-to specialist catering to these diverse needs.
Founded in 1976, Maxpull specializes in manual and electric
winches that move loads vertically or horizontally in a wide
range of situations.
“We don’t target a particularfield,” says Maxpull’s president
and CEO, Koichi Ono. “Have you
ever seen McDonald’s rolling
advertisements? They use our

Winch-supported parade float
winch to take them up and down.
In zoos, our winches keep nets up
to stop flamingos from flying out.

During a Japanese street parade,a Maxpull winch allowed a hugedoll on a float to duck below
overhead wires. These are someof our product applications.”

Best-selling GM Series manual
winch
As Japan targets carbon neutrality by 2050, Maxpull also
plays a role in the production ofrenewable energy. In wind power generators built by Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries, its winches
carry replacement parts up to
the 100-meter-high turbines.

Maxpull is dedicated to monozukuri, the pursuit of perfectionthat underpins Japanese manufacturing—and central to thiscommitment is a focus not only
on product safety, but also meeting clients’ needs to the letter. “Welisten carefully to our customers,”
Mr. Ono says. “Our unique strengthlies in talking with them and finding out what objects need to be
moved and in which direction.”

Wire mapping
In Japan, Maxpull enjoys a 70%
market share; however, shrinking domestic demand due to thecountry’s aging population led the“We’re building a sustainable company throughglobal expansion.”
Koichi Ono, President &CEO, Maxpull Machinery& Engineering Co., Ltd.
company to begin expanding its
global reach in 2013. “Our primarytarget is Southeast Asia,” Mr. Onosays. “We now have distributors
in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Indonesia and Thailand.
“We’re also taking an aggressive approach in sales and marketing in European countries like
Germany, the U.K., France andSpain, as well as in the U.S. andother developed nations.”

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